Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei.10-936, published on Jan. 6, 1998 without examination, discloses an electricity feeding device for a vehicle slide door that includes a flexible conductive portion which establishes an electric coupling between components in the slide door and the vehicle body, respectively. The flexible conductive portion is configured to have a curved or U-shaped portion which is displaced with movement of the slide door for opening or closing the opening area formed in the side wall of a vehicle body.
In this known electricity feeding device, due to the fact that the flexible conductive portion possesses a thin rectangular shaped cross-section, the formation of the U-shaped portion in the flexible conductive portion causes an elastic restoring force which expands the curved portion of the flexible conductive portion in the outward direction. To prevent such an outward expansion, the curved portion of the flexible conductive portion is slidably fitted in a guide groove.
However, when the slide door is in its fully opened condition and one or more individuals enter into or exit out of the vehicle through the opening area in the laterals side wall of the vehicle, foreign substances adhered to the individuals' shoes such as small stones and snow may fall into the groove. Thereafter, when the slide door is moved to close the opening area, the foreign substances are held between the wall of the groove and the flexible conductive portion whose curved portion is displaced together with the moving slide door. This may disturb smooth movement of the curved portion of the flexible portion of the electricity feeding device.
Accordingly, a need exists for an electricity feeding device drive that is not as susceptible to the same disadvantages and drawbacks.